DAIRY INDUSTRY AND LABOUR LAWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8128, 30 April 1906, Page 5

DAIRY INDUSTRY AND LABOUR LAWS.

The following petition is being forwarded to all the dairy factories for signature, and will be presented to the Right Hon. R. J. Seddon, P. 0., Premier and Minister of Labour, Wellington "We, the undersigned, being permanent employees in dairy factories in New Zealand pray— That the dairy faotoriea' employees, be exempt by law from the provisions of the Industrial Arbitration and Conciliation Act on the following grounds:— That the operation of the Act would cause the closing of a large number of the smaller creameries altogether, and would cause the dairy factory companies to close other creameries and factories for a longer period in winter, and many of us would be compelled to relinquish our present occupation; that no hardship has beet: occasioned by the exemption of dairy factories 'from the operation of th" Factories Act, and we are of opinion that, owing to the nature of the dairy business, it is vital to the success and even, existence of the iudustry that we should be exempt 'from the Arbitration Aot; that owing to the nature of the business the long hours we are required to work for a few months in the flush of the season are counterbalanced by the shorter hours and lighter servioe during the remainder of the year.; that owing to the fact that the bulk of dairy produce has to be exported and sold at the market value, there is no ohance of passing the increased cost of production on the consumer; that ow ing to the distance from the market and the aoet of reaching it the industry here is at a disadvantage in competition with other countries where freights and cost of production are less, and that the operation of the- Aot would unduly increase the cost and hamper production here; that if at any time circumstances (at present unforseeo) should compel the dairy factories employees to form themselves into an industrial union, they may, ab a Dairy Factory Employees' Union, have a right to apply to the Court in the same manner as any other Industrial Union.